Danny Green Doesnt Get it, So Let Me Set The Record Straight
At this point you’ve likely seen Danny Green’s comments about Sixers fans when he joined John Clark’s podcast. If you haven’t, here is what the pending free agent had to say about the fans in Philly:
“It has an affect on everybody and I think that’s something that needs to change in the city. I love our fans, but when things aren’t going well, they can turn on you. That’s the one thing that I would disagree with or dislike, but some guys use it as motivation, some guys have a chip on their shoulder, but I think that needs to change somewhat,”
Green dug in even deeper though.
“They need to be riding with us regardless of how things are going. We were the No. 1 team in the East, still playing well, and in some games they’ll boo us, but that’s part of the culture year.”
Ill allow the above quote to sink in…..
I understand what Green was trying to say. Different players react in different ways to being booed, or even encouraged. But the fact that Green had the audacity to suggest that the Philadelphia fanbase did not ENCOURAGE Ben Simmons, the man who did this
He passed the ball. pic.twitter.com/FkDdpXVCUC
— OfftheCliffShow (@OfftheCliffShow) June 21, 2021
Well that is a joke. Here in Philly, despite what the national media would have you believe, we start off being supportive. But there is a breaking point with this fan base. Sure, there are idiots out there who are going to be negative for the sake of being negative. But i’m talking the majority of the fans start off with hope and positivity. The problem is the teams don’t reciprocate.
They have a player (Danny Green) who has been here for about 12 minutes act like we are ungrateful. I know he was injured but was he in the bathroom when Simmons passed up that wide open dunk? Was Green getting treatment early in the series when Simmons stepped to the foul line and cheers, not boos, rained down from the Wells Fargo Center crowd as they tried to will that ball through the hoop?
This fan teaching and encouraging an NBA all-star to make a free throw like he was parenting an 8-year-old at the playground is such a great Philly moment. pic.twitter.com/3jiO0utNma
— Dave Zeitlin (@DaveZeitlin) June 17, 2021
The above clip is of a man who spent his hard earned money, while wearing a Ben Simmons shirt, trying to encourage Ben to hit his free throw as the Sixers were up by 24….TWENTY FOUR! The game looked out of hand, but the fans didnt care that the team was up by so much. They wanted to show support for the struggling 24 year old. The Sixers ending up blowing that lead and lost game 5 109-106.
My problem with Green’s comments are the fact that it seems the players ONLY seem to notice the fans when we reach the end of our rope. And im not talking about the generic “The fans were great!” talk that you get when a lazy journalist asks “How great were the fans tonight?” Im talking the random podcast quote where a player completely out of the blue mentions the fan base showing support for struggling teams/players.
This is a fan base that (for the most part) completely supported “The Process.” The idea that losing for a few years will lead you to years of success. We supported that. (Que the one guy in his office cubicle right now scoffing at that saying aloud “pfff! Speak for yourself!”) We backed a #1 overall pick who got the yips! Going so far as to cheer WHEN HE MISSED! Not cheering the miss, but cheering the fact that he was back and taking the shot. When Nelson Agholor said “Im in my head right now.” We supported him. When Brandon Brooks announced that he was dealing with anxiety and thats why he was suddenly missing games, we supported.
This city has a long list of supporting players. But we have a breaking point and a moment where we can no longer pat the dog on the head and tell him that its ok after he just peed on the carpet. And that’s what the Sixers did. They were the #1 seed in the East, and they couldn’t get out of the second round. But to hear Danny Green talk, its as if the goal was to simply be the top seed! Even though Doc Rivers said differently.
It was obvious to anyone watching the Sixers that Ben Simmons was struggling like he had never struggled before. The fan base understood it. But in a crucial game when he passed up a wide open dunk, that was the breaking point. That was the point where the fan base could no longer cheer the 24 year old. Because there was no excuse for it. And it was obvious by his reaction at the time that Joel Embiid felt the same way. But its the fans who are at fault….sure…
Hey Danny, LOOK INWARD. Its not the fact that Danny Green just gave more fodder for the lazy anti-philly narrative. Its the lack of accountability. What exactly did he expect after the game one disaster? The Sixers coming out flat, getting blown out early and unable to fully come out of the hole they dug themselves? Did he expect to be cheered? Fans paid money, a lot of money, and they were rewarded with watching a team that looked lost.
Philly is not a tough city to “get.” We support our athletes. We support our teams. We have a calluses built up from years of losing. Losing that dates back before the current roster was born. We eat, sleep, and breath sports in this town. And at times, yes! We are reactionary and we say things that are harsh. But we have unwavering love for teams in this town. We want the best for our athletes. But when you fail to do the simplest things (like pass open a wide open dunk in a must win game) then we react accordingly. And im not referring to the idiots on twitter who just tweet hate at the athletes. Im talking the actual fans.
So for Danny Green, Ben Simmons, and the rest of the athletes in this town here is my suggestion.
Step 1: Open Twitter
Step 2: Settings and privacy
Step 3: Notifacations
Step 4: Advanced Filters
Step 5: Click all the buttons
And the final step is giving ultimate effort. Thats all. And youll be beloved in this city.
